Garbage can liner system

ABSTRACT

Pre-molded multiple plastic bags are compressed into a flat pack having a supportive edge, according to the invention, with the edge then resting on the surrounding upper rim of a standard size garbage pail, with each bag of the pack being pushed down and expanded to securely fit into the pail. As each top plastic bag is filled with trash, it is torn away from the rack leaving the next bag neatly in place for filling.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

None

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Research and development of this invention and Application have not beenfederally sponsored, and no rights are given under any Federal program.

REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX

NOT APPLICABLE

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to standard sized garbage pails, in general, andto a liner system which provides cleaner looking garbage receptacles,and an improved sanitation system, in particular.

2. Description of the Related Art

As is well known and understood, most apartment dwellers and homeownersuse garbage pails in one form or another—typically employing a plasticgarbage can liner to collect the trash inserted. Usually, the processbegins by removing one of interlaced liners from a purchased box ofthem, or tearing one from off a roll, before inserting the liner intothe pail with its upper edge draped over the surrounding rim of thepail. Once the liner (a plastic garbage bag, for example) is filled, itis removed and replaced by a new liner for use.

However, as is well known and understood, the liner/bag oftentimes isoversized with respect to the pail, so that its draped upper edge takeson a sloppy appearance when fitted in place. On the other hand, wherethe liner/bag is undersized, the risk definitely runs of its beingpulled into the pail by the weight of the trash. When this happens, a“corruption” of the inside of the pail results, with the need forrepeated washing out to remove contamination, malodorous odors and wasteaccumulations from the inner walls.

As will be understood, as bad as these situations may be with theapartment dweller or homeowner, it becomes progressively worse inoffices, and in such institutions as nursing homes and hospitals wherethe accumulation of trash is more pervasive. With healthcareinstitutions, as an example, contamination to the inside of the pailfrom the discard of “coughed-into” or “sneezed-into” tissues, napkins orpaper towels, can lead to just such type of infection and contaminationthat the use of the liners are supposed to protect against.Additionally, in these types of environs, significant labor hours spentby housekeeping or officekeeping staff results, as the employees gothrough the daily process of having to remove the liners, and thenhaving to replace and reset them in position throughout the day. Inthese latter instances, of course, the labor expended translates intoadditional labor costs and expense.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a newand improved type of garbage can liner system which obviates theseproblems.

It is an object of the present invention, also, to provide a systemwhich produces cleaner looking, neater garbage receptacles—whether usedin the apartment, the home, the office, or in any other institutional orlike environment.

It is another object of the invention to provide such a garbage canliner system which affords a more effective and easier method ofincreased sanitation.

It is yet a further object of the invention to provide such a systemwhich can reduce the amount of labor time expended in an institutionalsetting so as to allow for vast savings in labor costs to be had forhousekeeping activities.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As will become clear from the following description, the garbage canliner system of the invention utilizes premolded, multiple plastic bagsformed into a pack with a supportive edge which overlies the surroundingupper rim of a standard sized garbage pail. The multiple plastic bagsare compressed flat one atop another, with each of the bags being pushedinwardly down as a unit to fill the pail to which it is sized to match.With the upper outer edge of each bag as it rests on the pail producedwith a neat trim edge, a clean fit and appearance results. When thefirst, or top plastic bag is filled with trash, it is torn from therack, leaving the next bag already in place for filling.

As will be described, in a first embodiment of the invention, each ofthe bags is joined to its adjacent bag along a tearable line. In asecond embodiment, the pack includes a frame overlaying the upper rim ofthe garbage pail, with each of the bags extending inwardly from opposingsides of the frame along the tearable separation line. In eitherarrangement, once the bag is filled with trash, it is torn free from therack, lifted out, tied off and removed. Any trash which might fall fromthe bag as it is being removed from the pail will automatically be seento fall into the next bag in the pail beneath it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features of the present invention will be more clearlyunderstood from a consideration of the following description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate the operativeness of the first embodiment of theinvention in conjunction with a substantially cylindrical garbage pail;

FIGS. 4-7 are illustrative of the second embodiment of the inventionoperative with a garbage pail of orthogonal configuration.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In FIGS. 1-3, a substantially cylindrical garbage pail 10 is shownhaving a surrounding upper rim 12. A pack of compressed multiple plasticgarbage pail liners 14 is provided with an upper edge 16 at which eachof the garbage pail liners 14 is joined, along tearable lines 18 in amanner such that each liner is joined to the one beneath it along theline 18. With the pack composed of one of 10, 20 and 30 plastic linersper pack, for example, of pre-molded plastic composition, the garbagecan liner system is employed simply by downwardly pushing the pack as aunit to fill the pail 10 as shown by the arrow 100 in FIG. 2; theindividual liners then take on the general configuration of the pail, asshown at A, B, C in FIG. 1. As the first, or uppermost liner at A isfilled, or otherwise determined to be removed, its upper edge 16 is tornfrom the tearable line 18 (as at 20 in FIG. 3) for lifting out, tyingoff, and removing. Any trash that might fall from the liner in doingthis will be seen to fall back inside the pail, to be collected by thenext lower liner of the pack—B in FIG. 1. A trimmed upper edge of eachliner gives a neat appearance to the pack.

In the configuration of FIGS. 4-7, an orthogonal garbage pail 22 isshown, also with a surrounding upper rim 24. The pack of plastic garbagepail liners here includes a frame 26 which overlays the garbage pail rim24—again by a supportive edge 28 with a pack of compressed pre-moldedplastic liners 30 extending inwardly of the frame from its opposingsides, at which point each liner can be torn away from the one beneathit. With the liners sized to fit the pail 22—as with the configurationof FIGS. 1-3—, removing the filled liner 34 is similarly done throughtearing along the lines 32, lifting the liner outwardly (FIG. 7), andleaving the next liner (and all the others joined with it) beneath it,in place. Again, each of the liners is arranged to have a neatly trimmedupper edge.

As with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-3, any trash which might fall duringthe removal process just lands in the expanded liner beneath, and iseasily collected.

As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, a cleaner looking,neater garbage pail receptacle results, in a manner which affords a moreeffective method of increased sanitation, and which drastically reducesthe amount of labor expended in liner replacement. A significantreduction in labor costs as to this then results in housekeepingexpense.

While there have been described what are considered to be preferredembodiments of the present invention, it will be readily appreciated bythose skilled in the art that modifications can be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the teachings herein. For at least suchreason, therefore, resort should be had to the claims appended heretofor a true understanding of the scope of the invention.

1. A garbage can liner system comprising: a garbage pail having asurrounding upper rim; and a pack of compressed multiple plastic garbagepail liners supported by said rim and outwardly draped thereover; witheach of said plastic liners being pushable inwardly down as a unit tofill said pail; and with each of said plastic liners having a tearableline for individual separation from the pack when each said liner is tobe removed from the pail.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein each of saidplastic liners has an upper edge joined to an adjacent plastic lineralong said tearable line.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein said packincludes a frame overlaying said garbage pail upper rim, and with eachof said plastic liners extending inwardly of said frame from opposingsides thereof at each of said tearable lines.
 4. The system of claim 1wherein each of said plastic liners has a neatly trimmed upper edge. 5.The system of claim 1 wherein said pack is composed of one of 10, 20 and30 plastic liners per pack.
 6. The system of claim 1 wherein said packis composed of multiple pre-molded plastic liners.
 7. A garbage canliner system comprising: a garbage pail having a surrounding upper rim;and a pack of garbage can liners; with said pack being composed of multipre-molded plastic bags compressed flat atop one another inwardlyextending from a supportive edge overlying said surrounding upper rim;with each of said plastic bags being pushed inwardly down as a unit tofill said pail; and with each of said bags being tearable from said packin turn when filled with trash for removal.
 8. The system of claim 7with each of said bags having a neatly trimmed upper edge draped oversaid surrounding pail upper rim.
 9. The system of claim 7 wherein eachof said plastic bags is sized to fit said garbage pail.